Billie Holiday made her debut in 1948.
Nina Simone first graced its stage in 1955.
In 1963 Bob Dylan played the notorious venue.

Next month will mark the Town Hall debut of the legendary downtown diva and extraordinary mistress of music, Joey Arias in Joey Arias: Live at Town Hall!, for one-night-only on Thursday, April 21 at 8:00pm.

Under the artistic direction of Manfred Thierry Mugler, conceived and created by Arias and musical director Ben Allison, and performed with Allison's 4-piece band, the program will include Arias' interpretations of jazz standards, along with new renditions of tunes made famous by Bob Dylan, Diana Ross and Cream, among others.

Arias' stage credits include Arias with a Twist, co-created with Basil Twist, and the Las Vegas spectacular Zumanity, for which he co-wrote 3 songs. He has performed worldwide at venues including Carnegie Hall, The Freedom Theatre in London and on a transatlantic world tour into the cabaret clubs of Paris, Tokyo, Germany, Finland, Estonia, Canada and England.

Additionally, Arias has produced several of his own recordings including Arias on Holiday, Strange Fruit, Jazzo Lozo, God Shave the Queen and live recordings of StarLust in Berlin, and Arias with a Twist and Bar D-O in New York. Arias is currently working with longtime collaborator and director Manfred Thierry Mugler on a unique project for early 2012.

A fixture of New York City's vibrant downtown performance scene for 30-plus years, Joey Arias is a bona fide NYC icon. From his early days at Fiorrucci and performing with his close friend Klaus Nomi, Arias has been an enigmatic figure. From outrageous performances at Club 57, Jackie 60 and Squeezebox to the now-legendary nights at Bar d'O where he held court with Raven-O and Sherry Vine, Arias distinguished himself with scandalous wit, sleek style and an extraordinary voice evocative of Lady Day yet uniquely his own.

This debut at the famed venue will surely be an unforgettable evening of music, humor and a little bit of scandal - just what audiences have come to expect from the unique experience of an Arias' performance.

Portions of the proceeds will benefit Lifebeat, a nonprofit that uses the power of music and the music industry to help educate young people about HIV/AIDS prevention.

For tickets, priced $29-$109, visit Ticketmaster.
Town Hall is located at 123 West 43rd Street in Manhattan.


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